Web severing means for tufting machines



June 29, 1954 w. D. REEVES 2,682,238

WEB SEVERING MEANS FOR TUFTING MACHINES Filed May 12, 1952 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1

IN VEN TOR.

WILL IAM D. WEEK 8 ATTORNEYS June 29, 1954 w. D. REEVES WEB SEVERING MEANS FOR TUFTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1952 2 INVENTOR.

WILL/14M .19. 5.664456 June 29, 1954 w, 11 REEVES 2,682,238

was SEVERING MEANS FOR TUFTING MACHINES Filed May 12, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

WILLIAM 0. HE E v55 Patented June 29, 1954 WEB SEVERING MEANS FOR TUFTING MACHINES William D. Reeves, Fairmount, Ga., assignor to Russell-Lacey Manufacturing Company, Inc.,

a corporation of Georgia Application May 12, 1952, Serial No. 287,309

Claims.

1 This invention relates in general to multiple needle tufting machines of the type adapted for inserting pile elements in successive lateral rows across a fabric web and incorporating a skip- -stitch mechanism for interrupting the insertion of these pile element rows to leave untufted lateral portions of the web at desired intervals, and in particular to a severing means arranged for association with such machines for severing the tufted fabric web successively at these untufted portions.

Multiple needle machines for tufting a fabric web in the manner noted above are well known in the prior art as illustrated by U. S. Patent No. 2,335,487, issued November 30, 1943, the fabric web being supplied to the machine in the width desired for a given product such as a rug or the like, and the tufting machine operating on the Web to form a continuous length of tufted fabric from which individual lengths may be cut according to the size of the final product desired. It is also common in these machines to incorporate a skip-stitch mechanism by which the web may be left untufted at intervals as noted above, the intervals being selected in accordance with the product length desired, and the web subsequently being cut at these untufted intervals to separate the individual product lengths from the web in the course of further processing of the product.

According to the present invention, there is now provided means for cutting the tufted web into these individual lengths automatically and continuously as the tufting machine is operated. Briefly described, this severing means of the present invention comprises a continuously driven endless severing blade, means for continuously feeding the tufted web adjacent a reach of this severing blade, and means for pressing the web against this severing blade in timed relation with the skip-stitch mechanism, so that the individual product lengths are delivered by the tufting machine rather than a continuous tufted web. This arrangement of the severing means of the present invention is described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a multiple needle tufting machine incorporating a severing means arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the arrangement of a skip-stitch mechanism for the tufting machine shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the actuating arrangement for the web pressing means incorporated in the severing means illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation, as seen from the right in Fig. 1, of the multiple needle tufting machine equipped with a severing means embodying the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly at first to Fig. 1, the reference numeral Ill indicates generally a multiple needle tufting machine arranged in a usual manner for feeding a fabric web W from a supply roll R across a work surface [2 for insertion of pile yarns Y in the web W to form a tufting thereon as indicated at T. The insertion of the pile yarns Y to form the tufting T is accomplished by a conventional multiple needle arrangement as at M in which the needles are mounted on a common needle bar it that is carried by vertical shafts Is for reciprocation from a driven crank arm 20 through a rock shaft 22 on which rock arms 24 are fixed to actuate connecting rods 25 for each of the needle bar carrying shafts l8 as will be described more in detail presently. A suitable loop cutting mechanism 28 or the like is arranged below the work surface [2 to form the inserted pile yarns Y into the type of tufting T desired. Also, one or more driven slitting knives 3!] may be disposed at the work surface l2 just beyond the needles Hi to slit the web W longitudinally if desired, and a driven feed roll 32 with a superimposed pressure roll 34 may be provided for drawing the web W through the machine In for the tufting operation.

The tufting machine It is also provided, as mentioned above, with a conventional form of skip-stitch mechanism which is illustrated best in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In Fig 2, the multiple needles M are shown arranged on the needle bar [5 with one of the vertical needle bar carrying shafts l8, disposed for vertical reciprocation in a bearing guide way 36 that is secured to a struc tural cross member 38 of the tufting machine It.

Above the bearing guide way 36 the vertical carrying shaft I8 is fitted at its upper end with a fixed block 40 and a movable block 12 which carries a pivoted latch element 44 that is shiftable between a latching position as shown in full lines (at which the fixed and movable blocks 46 and 42 are latched for movement together), and an unlatched position as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2 (at which the movable block 42 is freed from the fixed block 40) The movable block 42 is also fitted with a pin 46 forming a pivot point for the previously mentioned connecting rod 26 joined to the rock arm 24 for actuating the needles I4 from the driven crank arm 20.

Normally the latch element 44 is biased in latching position through a slide bar 48 mounted above the supporting cross member 36 and carrying a vertically slottedpositioning guide 50 for the latch element 44. The slide bar 48, however, also carries an attraction block 52 arranged in relation to a solenoid 54 which operates upon being energized to move the slide bar 48 to the right as seen in Fig. 2 through attraction of the block 52 and thereby to shift the latch element 44 to the dotted line unlatched position shown. When the latch element 44 is in its normal latched position the actuation for reciprocation of the needles I4 is transmitted from the connecting rod 26 through the movable block 42 to the latched fixed block 40 to cause reciprocation of the vertical shaft I8 and thereby obtain normal tufting operation.

However, upon energizing of the solenoid 54 to shift the latch element 44 to its unlatched position the movable block 42 is freed from the fixed block 48 to reciprocate idly on the vertical shaft I8 without any actuation of the needles I4 and thereby leave untufted lateral portions in the fabric web W as indicated at S, and it will be recognized that these untufted portions S may be made to occur at regular intervals as desired by timing the energizing of the solenoid 54 accordingly. In connection with such skip-stitch mechanisms, it is also usual to provide a slack mechanism as at 56 for inducing slack in the pile yarns Y as the fabric web W moves ahead without operation of the needles 34 to leave the untufted portions S, the slack mechanism also being operated by a suitable solenoid arrangement (not shown) to pull slack into pile yarns Y upon each actuation of the skip-stitch mechanism.

The foregoing elements are all usual and common in a multiple needle tufting machine such as is illustrated in the drawings at Ill, and a tufting machine II] of this sort is operated according to the prior art for producing a continuous fabric web W invested with the pile tufting T and having the untufted portions S left for subsequent cutting to size of the product to be formed from the tufted web W. The severing means of the present invention is adapted for use in as sociation with these tufting machines II] to per-- form this cutting operation automatically and continuously as the tufted web is handled from the machine.

For this purpose, a representative embodiment of the severing means of the present invention is indicated generally in the drawings by the reference numeral 58 mounted at the rear of the tufting machine I0, and incorporating an additional pair of driven feed rolls 60 for training and continuously feeding the tufted web W from the machine I!) to hang vertically at the delivered end thereof. The previously mentioned continuously driven endless severing blade is shown at 62 (compare Figs. 1 and 4) mounted on pulleys 64 so as to dispose a reach thereof transversely adjacent the vertically hanging portion of the tufted web W. This reach of the endless severing blade 62 adjacent the tufted web W is normal- 1y covered by a yieldably biased shroud member, which is formed with an open face, as shown, for exposing the cutting edge of the endless severing blade 62 when desired.

A second similarly open-faced shroud member 68 is movably disposed in opposed relation to the yieldably biased shroud member 66 and is normally spaced therefrom to allow interposing of the vertically hanging portion of the tufted web W as shown in the drawings, and the severing means of the present invention operates to close the movable shroud member 68 on the yieldably biased shroud member 66 in timed relation to the operation of the previously described skip-stitch mechanism so that the vertically hanging portion of the tufted web W is pressed against the cutting edge of the endless severing blade 62 at each untufted portion S to cut the tufted web W regularly into individual product lengths and to allow each length to drop from the machine as it is cut.

The arrangement by which the severing means 58 of the present invention is operated for this purpose comprises a separate drive motor I0 from which driving connections may be arranged as at 1 2 for the endless severing blade 62 and at I4 for operating the shroud members 66 and 68. The drive connection 12 is arranged for driving one of the mounting pulleys 84 for the endless severing blade 62 directly from the motor 10 so that the severing blade 62 is thereby operated continuously. The drive connection I4 for the shroud members 66 and 68, however, is arranged for driving through a clutch mechanism 16 as illustrated best in Fig. 3 of the drawing. This clutch mechanism 16 is of the type that is normally spring biased in open position, but which is fitted with a shifting yoke I6 or the like for actuation from a solenoid to closed position when desired. Beyond the clutch 16 a crank plate 82 is arranged to engage a slotted arm 84 of a bell crank 86 having the other arm thereof arranged to actuate connecting links 88 that extend to pivoted connections with sleeve portions 98 of the movable shroud member 68, these sleeve portions 90 being slidably disposed on guide rods 92 so that operation of the clutch mechanism I6 results in closing the movable shroud member 68 on the yieldably biased shroud member 66 which is also formed with sleeve portions 94 disposed on the guide rods 92 and arranged in relation to compression springs 96 carried on the guide rods 92 to provide the yieldable bias, the sleeve portions 94 being fitted with suitable stop elements 98 for limiting their outward movement on the guide rod 92.

The timing of th above described operation of the severing means 58 in relation to the operation of the skip-stitch mechanism may be accomplished in any convenient manner through timed actuation of the solenoids 54 and 80, such as timing chains I00 and I02, illustrated in the drawings (see Fig. 4), each of which may be driven from a common source as at I04 and fitted with actuating lugs as at I08 and I08 to operate switches as at 54 and 80 for the respective solenoids 54 and 80, the lengths of the timing chains I00 and I02 and the arrangement of the actuating lugs I06 and I08 being related so as to provide the desired timed operation of the severing means 58 in relation to the skip-stitch mechanism to effect transverse cutting of the tufted web W regularly at the untufted portions S in the manner already explained above.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a multiple needle tufting machine for inserting pile elements in a fabric web and incorporating a skip-stitch mechanism for interrupting the insertion of said pile elements to leave untufted lateral portions of said web at desired intervals, means for severing said web at said untufted portions comprising a continuously driven endless severing blade, means for continuously feeding said web adjacent a reach of said endless severing blade, means for pressing said web against said adjacent severing blade reach, and means timed for operating said pressing means as each untufted portion left by said skip-stitch mechanism is advanced by said feeding means adjacent said endless severing blade reach.

In a multiple needle tufting machine for inserting pile elements in a fabric web and incorporating a skip-stitch mechanism for interrupting the insertion of said pile elements to leave untufted lateral portions of said web at desired intervals, means for severing said web at said untufted portions comprising a continuously driven endless severing blade mounted on said machine with a reach thereof extending transversely with respect to said web, means for continuously feeding the tufted web adjacent said reach, means for pressing said tufted web against said reach, and means timed for operating said pressing means as each untufted portion left by said skipstitch mechanism is advanced by said feeding means adjacent said endless severing blade reach.

3. In a multiple needle tufting machine for inserting pile elements in a fabric web and incorporating a skip-stitch mechanism for interrupting the insertion of said pile elements to leave untufted lateral portions of said web at desired intervals, means for severing said web at said untufted portions comprising a continuously driven endless severing blade mounted on said machine with a reach thereof extending transversely with respect to said web, a first shroud member yieldably biased in covering relation over said reach, a second movable shroud member disposed in opposed relation to said first shroud member and normally spaced therefrom, means for continuously feeding the tufted web between said shroud members, and means timed for closing said movable shroud member on said first shroud member as each untufted portion left by said skip-stitch mechanism is advanced by said feeding means between said shroud members.

4. The combination with a multiple needle tufting machine of the type incorporating a skipstitch mechanism for leaving untufted lateral portions at desired intervals of a fabric web tufted thereon, of means for severing said web at each of said untufted portions comprising a continuously driven endless severing blade mounted on said machine with a reach thereof running transversely with respect to said web, a first shroud member yieldably biased in covering relation over said reach and formed with an open face for exposing the cutting edge of said severing blade at said reach, a second similar shroud member movably disposed in opposed relation to said first shroud member and normally spaced therefrom, means for continuously feeding the tufted web between said shroud members, and means timed for closing said movable shroud member on said yieldably biased shroud member and thereby pressing said web against said cutting edge as each untufted portion left by said skip-stitch mechanism is advanced by said feeding means between said shroud members.

5. The combination with a multiple needle tufting machine of the type incorporating a skipstitch mechanism for leaving untufted lateral portions at desired intervals of a fabric web tufted thereon, of means for training and continuously feeding the tufted web from said machine to hang vertically at the delivered end thereof, a continuously driven endless severing blade disposed with a reach thereof running transversely adjacent the vertically hanging portion of said web, a first shroud member yieldably biased in covering relation over said reach and formed with an open face for exposing the cutting edge of said severing blade at said reach, a second similarly open-faced shroud member movably disposed in opposed relation to said first shroud member and normally spaced therefrom to allow interposing of said vertically hanging web portion, and means timed for closing said movable shroud member on said yieldably biased shroud member as each untufted portion left by said skip-stitch mechanism is advanced by said feeding means to hang between said shroud members and thereby pressing said web successively against said cutting edge at said untufted portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,432,469 Charles Dec. 9, 1947 2,551,762 Pfeiffer May 8, 1951 

